and one who infuses an intercultural
perspective into every action,”
according to the report.

As one millennial leader focus-groupparticipant said, “You don’t tell peoplewhat to do, you empower them.”That viewpoint contrasts sharplywith current CEOs’ descriptions of anideal leader, as someone who “focusesless on interpersonal influence andmore on efficient decision-making andbusiness savvy.”Because millennials have beenraised in an era of positive tolerance,Tulgan says, with an aspirational ideathat all styles are equally valid, and dueto the profound diversity they wereraised in, they are especially vulnerableto management pitfalls such as “fallingfor the myth” of empowerment.

“The idea of a self-managed team isgreat,” he says. “But it’s a fiction. It’s justnot the case that teams function withoutleadership—a team without an officialleader will still have leaders emerge.”The only question is who will fillthat unofficial role, he says.

“Sometimes it is the strongest,
sometimes the most committed,
sometimes the most qualified.
Sometimes it is a ringleader who
emerges. Sometimes there are
competing ringleaders, and then cliques
form and then conflict ensues. The
best case is having clear roles and clear
lines of responsibility and authority—
with clear expectations and clear

Common Ground

While there are indeed differences
in the ways millennial leaders and
CEOs see things, the Divergent
Views report shows four corporate
imperatives—representing ethics,
profitability, stakeholder needs and
environment—got nearly identical
importance ratings by both groups.
And the commonalities don’t end there.

“I think a lot of the same leadershiptraits will be important” to both currentCEOs and the next generation of leaders,says Shook, “including inspiring peopleIt’s a sentiment that JonathanFlickinger, a “first-decade millennial”and one of last year’s HR’s Rising Stars,would surely agree with.

“Past generations put their blood,
sweat and tears into serving others,
and we will, too,” says Flickinger, who
is currently an HR manager at Shaft
Drillers International in Pittsburgh.
“The dreams we have for our children
will look different, but the same innate
hope and faith that they will succeed
will remain. We will take that with us to

Raising MillennialLeaders

Here are some tips for HR leaders looking to groom a generation of leaders capable of best dealing with the
disruptions ahead, from the Divergent
Views/Common Ground report.

• In developing high-potentials,
ensure that they are given opportunities
to participate in task forces and have
rotational or developmental assignments
that allow them to successfully manage
change and deal with ambiguity at early
stages of their careers.

• Instill among the leadership team
the importance of engaging employees,
and give them the skills to have
developmental, performance and career
conversations that drive higher levels of
engagement.

world these days, but the Divergent
Views report finds a demographic
gap in the importance that different
generations place on giving employees
the ability to work as they see fit.

When millennials were asked to
describe their prototypical leader, they
said he or she would be “an inspiring
coach, a compelling communicator,